Automobile-sleigh suspension



A. KGRESSE.

AUTOMOBILE SLEIOH SUSPENSION.

APPLlCATION FILED MAR. 2l, 1916.

Patented OOO. 4, 1921.

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ADQLPHE RG-BESSE, 0F CZARSKOIE SELO, RUSSIA.

AUTOMOBILE-SLEIGH SUSPENSION.

Speciilcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 4l, 1921.

Application filed March 21, 1916. Serial No. 85,574.

(GRANTED N'DER THE PROVISIONS 0F THE ACT 0F MARGH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADOLPHE KGRESSE, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at AImperial Garage, Czarskoie Selo, Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile- Sleigh Suspensions, of which the following is a speciication.

The automobile-sleigh driven by an endless belt and forming the subject-matter of the U. S. Letters Patent No.,1,096,815 previously granted to me is provided with a suspension, the end parts of which are connected together by two special tension rods, and with a single pair of rollers, distributing the load over the lower stretch of the endless belt. In this case only one of the two pulle s supporting the belt is a driving pulley. n the other hand, inthe construction forming the subject-matter of the above lmentioned patent the forward 'part of the machine is supported by an arrangement rlepresenting a combinatlon of wheels and s ides.

The present invention relates to a modi-l cation of the above construction, its main features being as follows t 1) The arrangement of a suspension consisting of two separate and identical groups, arranged symmetrically in relation to the axle, -around which each of these groups can rotate independently of one another.

(2) A symmetrical increase of the number of rollers in proportion to the weight of the machine, with the preservation of the same principle of distribution of the load,

owing to which fact the`running of the vehicle improves especiall on an undulating running surface or trac when the driving stretch of the belt under better conditions adjusts itself to all the unevennesses ofthe.

surface.

(3) The use of a device for automatic lgtenin'g of the belt in proportion to the I(et) The arrangement of special members for taking up the side pressure of the driving mechanism on the rear axle, owing to which the axle, the suspension and the 'driving mechanism are relieved when the vehicle e application of a similar mecha- In the annexed drawings illustrating various embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of the rear driving mechanism with four rollers, the right hand connecting lever between the belt pulley and correspionding rollers being shown in section; ig. 2 is a plan view of the same mechanism with the upper stretch of the belt omitted and one of the groups of rollers shown in horizontal section; Figs. 3 and 4 show diagrammatically two embodiments of the invention withsix and eight rollers, respectively; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View. of the motor sleigh provided with a mecha.- nism having an endless belt on the forward and rear axles, illustrated as traveling over an indulating track.

The load P on the axle 1 is not transmitted on one spring only, as isthe case in the said previous patent, but on twov separate springs 2 mounted freely on the axle 1 by means of straps 3 and arranged symmetrically in respect of the longitudinal axis of the mechanism. Each end of -both springs restson a suitably selected point 4 of lthe lever 5 connecting the driving pulley 6 with the beam 7 pairing the rollers 8. The position of the bearing point 4 determines the part of the load upon the rollers 8 and driving pulleys 6. If this point is, for instance, on the continuation of the axis of the vertical arm of levers 5, then the whole weight of the machine is supported by the rollers 8, while .the pulleys 6 will rest on the ground only owing to their own weight. The trunnions 9 of the rollers 8 are supported by the .ends of the beams with the aid of bearings having spherical surfaces. The lower part of the levers 5 is also rotativelyconnected with the free axle 10, connecting the two beams 7. In this Way the rollers 8 and levers 7 form a linked quadrilateral system, owing to which fact the pressing rollers can stand small unevennesses of the ground in the side direction without causing harmful strain tothe mechanism. VIn the longitudinal -directionall the unevennesses of the road are takenup by the belt as in the arrangement Adescribed in .the said previous patent, but

with much greater'accuracyn view of the -increase of the number of rollers.

' The transmission of movement to thevehicle is carried out, for instance, with the aid of pulleys 6, on each of which a sprocket wheel 1 6 is lfastened, obtaining 'movement by means of an endless chain 17 from the sprocket Wheels 18 on the axle 1. The chains 17 .may` be replaced with a stiff or semi-stiff transmission by means of a shaft and bevel or helical wheels, fastened, on `one side, on the axle 1 of the Vehicle and on the driving pulleys on the other side.

Theautomatic tension of the belt in proportion to the load being carried is attained by means of tension rods 11, connecting the driving pulleys 6 with the axle 1. When the load increases the camber 12 showing the bend of the spring decreases and the axle 1, drawing the upperl ends of the tension rods 11 with it,\descends, in view of which fact the broken line formed by these, rods tends to straighten out into a horizontal line and thus increases the distance between the axles of the pulleys 6.

Two rollers 13 loosely mounted on the in ner side of the tension rods and capable of rolling between the guiding arc-shaped frames 14, fastened rigidly to, the body 15 of the Vehicle, are provided for taking up the side pressure and' relieving the rear moving mechanism when the vehicle is turning in its course.

The arrangements with six and eight rollers shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are built on the same principle. It is also possible in very heavy vehicles to use, in case of need, ten, twelve and even more rollers.

The use of a similar mechanism with a endless belt in front of the automobile, in-A stead of ordinary wheels or a combination of wheels and' slides does not present #any diliculty, as all the parts are fastened on the end of the axle itself. yIn this case a driving mechanism with complete adherency is obtained, i. e. with two driving axles; it is necessary, however, to replace the rollers/13 and guides 14 with rods connected to the steerin'g mechanism.

The belt is preferably provided with a.

central guide rib according to which the pul. leys 6 and rollers 8 have grooves to receive 'i this rib.

sion rod for pivoting each group to the saidA axle, a pair of load transmitting springs centrally attached to the axle, and a lever extending between each endless belt` driving and lload distributing group and on which lever the free ends of the said springs rest.

2. In a motor car driven by endless belts with load distributing rollers, a suspension system comprising in combination a center axle, endless belt driving mechanism symmetrically disposed on each side of the axle,

a load distributing roller frame also symmetrically disposed on each side of the axle,

arms connecting the load distributing roller 'v frame to each ,of the driving mechanisms, a tension rodtoenable veach endless drivingandload distributing device topivot rela-y tively to one another on each side of the axle and a pair of load transmitting springs. centrally attached to theV axle, the freefends of the springs resting upon the arm connecting the driving mechanism and load distributing devices at each side.I

3. In a motor car driven by endless belts with load distributing rollers, a suspension system comprising in combination a center axle, an endless belt driving mechanism and a load distributing7 roller mechanism both disposed on each side of the axle, means whereby each group AVmay rotate around the center axle independently of the other and a pair of load distributing transmitting springs centrally attached to the axleand whose ends. control the movements of the belt axle of the driving mechanism and a pair of vload transmitting springs centrally attached to the axle and controlling the movements of the driving element andrload distributing frame hereinbefore specified.

5. In a motor car driven-by endless belts with load distributing rollers, a suspension system comprising in combination a center axle, endless belt driving mechanism symmetricall disposed on each side of the axle, a load istributing frame connected with the axle of each driving mechanism, rollers mounted in the load distributing frame and engaging with the lower 'stretch of the endless belt, beams centrally disposed of the load distributing frame, a connection between said beam and the axle of its adjacent beltdriving mechanism, a pair of load distributing springs centrally attached to theaxle and whose free ends rest upon the said connections extending between the load distributing frame and the driving mechanism. y

6. In a motor cafr drivenby endless belts with load distributing rollers, a suspension system comprising in combination a center axle, an endless belt driving mechanism arranged symmetrically on each side lof the center axle, a load distributing frame on each side of the axle, a beam in said frame, a connection from each beam to the adjacent endless belt driving` mechanism, a pair of load supportin springs centrally attached to the axle an whosefree ends rest at a porting the sai determined point upon the said connections,

rollers in the load distributing frame, bearings on the beams having spherical surfaces for supporting the said rollers so that the rollers and beams form a linked quadrilate'ral system.

7. In a motor car driven by endless belts with load distributing rollers, a suspension system comprising in combination a center driven axle,\endless belt supporting mechanism symmetrically disposed on each side of the axle, means on each of the said driving mechanism so that it is rotated from the center axle, a load distributing frame on each side of the axle, a beam in said frame, a connection from each beam to the adjacent endless belt driving mechanism, a pair of load supporting springs centrally attached to the axle and whose free ends rest at a determined point upon the said connections, rollers in the load distributing frame, bearings on the beam having spherical surfaces supporting the said rollers so that the rollers and beams form a linked quadrilateral system.

8. In a motor car driven endless belts with load distributing rollers, a suspension system comprising in combination av center driven axle, endless belt driving mechanism disposed symmet-rieallyfat each side of the said axle, a pair of tension rods each pivoted at 'one end of the center axle and fastened at their other ends to each belt driving mechanism to enable each driving mechan1sm to swing independently of the other, a load distributing frame on each side of the axle, a beam in said frame, a connection from each beam to the adjacent endless belt drivingmechanism a pair of load support-` lng sprlngs centrally attached yto the axle and whose free ends rest at a determined point upon the 'said connections, rollers in,y the load distributing frame, bearings on the beams having spherical surfaces for supand beams form a linked quadrilateral system.

9, In a motor car, a suspension and driving system comprislng a pair of Asprockets distance between the sai rollers so that the rollers spaced apart, an endless each sprocket, an axle centrally disposed between the sprockets, a tension bar extending 0n each side from the center axle and engaging at its opposite end with each of the said sprockets, a load supporting-frame disposed symmetrically on each side of the center axle, connections extending from the load supporting frame to the axle of its adjacent belt driving mechanism, rollers on the load distributing frame rotating in connection with the back of the lower stretch of the endless driving belt, a pair of load transmitting springs centrally attached to the central axle and whose free ends rest on a determined point of the saidsconnections, whereby the driving mechanism and the load distributing group at one side of the center axle may move relatively to a similar group on the other side of the axle and means for tlie automatic tension of the belt in proportion to the weight being carried in such a manner that the greater the load on the driving axle, the reater will be the sprockets.

10. In a motor car driven by endless belts with load distributing rollers, a` suspension system comprising a center axle, a driving and loaddistributing roup symmetrically disposed on each side o? the said axle, a pair of load supporting springs centrally attached to the axle and whose free ends engage with one of the groups aforesaid to control the movement thereof, a pair of tension rods each pivot/ed at one end upon the center axle and connected at each of their other ends to one of the groups, rollers rotatably mounted on the inner side of said tension rods and fixed arc-shaped guides to engage the said rollers, whereby the turning of the vehicle in its course of travel will be rendered easier.

In witness `whereofI have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

ADoLPHE KGRESSE.

belt passing over 

